I. friend ‧ ly 1 S2 W3 /ˈfrendli/ BrE AmE adjective ( comparative friendlier , superlative friendliest )
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ friend , ↑ friendliness , ↑ friendship , ↑ friendly ; adjective : ↑ friendly ≠ ↑ unfriendly , ↑ friendless ; verb : ↑ befriend ]
1 . behaving towards someone in a way that shows you like them and are ready to talk to them or help them OPP unfriendly :
a friendly smile
I’ve found a great pub – good beer and a friendly atmosphere.
friendly to/towards
Why is he suddenly so friendly towards you, Charlotte?
2 . be friendly with somebody to be friends with someone:
Betty’s very friendly with the Jacksons.
3 . not at war with your own country, or not opposing you OPP hostile :
friendly nations
4 . British English a friendly game is played for pleasure or practice, and not because it is important to win:
a friendly match against AC Milan
5 . user-friendly/customer-friendly etc not difficult for particular people to understand or use:
a user-friendly computer program
a customer-friendly shopping mall
6 . environmentally-friendly/ozone-friendly/eco-friendly etc not harmful to the environment, ↑ ozone layer etc:
eco-friendly washing powder
7 . friendly fire bombs, bullets etc that accidentally kill people who are fighting on the same side
—friendliness noun [uncountable]
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ friendly behaving towards someone in a way that shows you like them and are ready to talk to them or help them:
a friendly smile
|
The local people are very friendly.
▪ warm [usually before noun] friendly and caring about other people, in a way that makes people like you and feel comfortable:
He was such a warm caring person and everyone loved him.
|
We received a very warm welcome.
▪ nice especially spoken friendly and kind:
Chris is a nice guy. I’m sure you’ll get on with him.
|
He wasn’t very nice to the other children.
▪ amiable /ˈeɪmiəb ə l/ formal friendly and easy to like:
Tom was an amiable young man.
▪ welcoming friendly to someone who has just arrived somewhere:
a welcoming smile
|
The group are very welcoming to new members.
▪ hospitable friendly and eager to make visitors comfortable:
I found Japanese people to be very hospitable.
▪ genial formal behaving in a cheerful and friendly way:
a genial host
|
She was in a genial mood.
▪ cordial formal friendly and polite but formal:
The two nations have always maintained cordial relations.
▪ approachable friendly and easy to talk to – used especially about people in important positions:
The head teacher is very approachable.
II. friendly 2 BrE AmE noun ( plural friendlies ) [countable] British English
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ friend , ↑ friendliness , ↑ friendship , ↑ friendly ; adjective : ↑ friendly ≠ ↑ unfriendly , ↑ friendless ; verb : ↑ befriend ]
a game played for pleasure or practice, and not because it is important to win